Academic Advising office

Taking Classes Outside of SAIC

Degree students who wish to take courses at another school (other than through Off-Campus Study Programs) and subsequently have that credit transferred to SAIC to meet requirements for graduation MUST receive prior approval from the Registrar and from the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs of Academic Advising. The process to request permission to take classes outside of SAIC begins

with a meeting with an academic advisor who will review the policies and eligibility requirements with the student. Forms are available in the Registration and Records and Academic Advising offices.

Approval to take courses elsewhere is not typically given for the student’s last semester prior to graduation, or if the student is on academic probation. Completion of six credit hours of English is a prerequisite for all liberal arts courses, six credit hours of Art History Survey for all art history courses, and all Contemporary Practices requirements to transfer any studio or general elective credit; including courses taken outside SAIC. Permission to take courses outside of SAIC is granted only for advanced course work and courses not offered at SAIC. To transfer credits to SAIC, a student must earn a grade of C or better at a regionally-accredited institution. No credit will be granted if a student does not seek permission until after the course has begun. It is the responsibility of the student to arrange for an official copy of the grade record to be sent directly to the Registration and Records office upon completion of the course. Financial aid at SAIC is not available for courses taken at another school via the permission process.

Please Note: A maximum of one semester or 15 credit hours total will be accepted outside of SAIC.

Taking a Leave of Absence

Students who completely withdraw from courses, or who complete a major academic semester (fall/spring) but voluntarily choose not to enroll in the next major academic semester (fall/spring) will be placed in one of the following categories:

Student Requested Leave of Absence (LOA): The student voluntarily leaves SAIC and plans to take a semester or more away. The student completes the LOA process and is eligible to re-enroll at SAIC within five years of the LOA date.

Student Requested Discontinuation: The student voluntarily leaves SAIC and does not plan to return. They will be discontinued from the program/degree.

Administrative Leave of Absence: The student voluntarily leaves SAIC, but does not request to be placed on LOA or Student Requested Discontinuation from SAIC, and does not enroll within the next major semester. They will be placed on Administrative Leave of Absence, which requires a student to submit a written appeal to the Academic Review Board in order to reenroll at SAIC.

Student Requested Leave of Absence (LOA)

A student who voluntarily leaves SAIC, either during the semester or between semesters, but does not return for the next major academic semester, may request to be placed on Leave of Absence. This will allow the student to return to SAIC without appealing to the Academic Review Board or reapplying for admission. To take a Leave of Absence, the student needs to meet, in person or via phone, with an academic advisor for an exit interview and complete a Leave of Absence form.

Note: Any new student leaving before the end of the add/drop period in their first semester should contact the Admissions office.

An undergraduate student on LOA may return within five years of their last date of attendance. In order to return, the student must begin a reinstatement process by contacting Academic Advising to schedule a meeting with an academic advisor. The advisor will alert students to any additional requirements that must be fulfilled for the student to be re-instated (this could include working with staff from International Affairs regarding visa processing for international students or a meeting with other Office of Student Affairs staff as needed). Students are advised to contact Academic Advising at least 30 days prior to the date of their desired return to allow sufficient time to complete the reinstatement process. No request for reinstatement will be considered if it is not received by Academic Advising at least two weeks before the first day of classes for that term. The statute of limitations for finishing the undergraduate programs is 10 years, which includes the interim period spent on leave of absence.

A graduate student on LOA may return within one year of their last date of attendance. A graduate student must contact their Department Chair at least six months prior to the requested date of re-enrollment so that SAIC can determine whether adequate studio space, equipment, and facilities are available. In situations in which a student is not permitted to return to SAIC because of a lack of space or other resources, enrollment may be deferred until the resources become available and the statute of limitations may be extended by that same period of time. Once the student has departmental support for reinstatement, the student should then schedule a meeting with an academic advisor. The advisor will advise of any additional requirements that must be fulfilled for the student to re-enroll (this could include working with staff from International Affairs regarding visa processing for international students or a meeting with other Office of Student Affairs staff as needed), and confirm that the student has notified and received approval from their academic department. Students are advised to contact Academic Advising at least 30 days prior to the date of their desired return to allow sufficient time for the reinstatement process. No request for reinstatement will be considered if it is not received by Academic Advising at least two weeks before the first day of classes for that term. The statute of limitations for finishing graduate degrees includes the interim period spent on Leave of Absence, and is listed under each program in the Graduate Studies section.

Student Requested Discontinuation from SAIC

If a student plans to voluntarily leave SAIC and does not plan to return, the student needs to meet with an academic advisor (in person or on the telephone) for an exit interview and submit a LOA form, and check the appropriate box to note they will not be returning to SAIC in the future. Any new student leaving before the end of the add/drop period during the student’s first semester should contact the Admissions office. A student who wishes to return to SAIC after completing the Student Requested Discontinuation process may submit an appeal to the Academic Review Board, which at its discretion, may grant the student’s request to re-enroll.

Administrative Leave of Absence

A student who voluntarily leaves SAIC either during the semester or between semesters, is not enrolled for the next major semester, and does not request to be placed on LOA or to be discontinued from the program will be placed on Administrative Leave of Absence.

An undergraduate student on Administrative Leave of Absence may appeal to return within five years of their last date of attendance. In order to return, the student should contact Academic Advising to schedule a meeting with an academic advisor and complete an Appeal for Reinstatement Form, which is reviewed by the Academic Review Board. After the review, the Academic Review Board (at its discretion) may allow the student to re-enroll in SAIC. If the student seeks to re-enroll five years or longer after the last date attended, they must re-apply through the Admissions office. The statute of limitations for finishing the undergraduate programs is 10 years and includes the interim period spent on administrative leave of absence.

A graduate student on Administrative Leave of Absence may appeal to return within one year of their last date of attendance. In order to return, the student should contact Academic Advising to schedule a meeting with an academic advisor and complete an Appeal for Reinstatement Form, which is reviewed by the Academic Review Board and the student’s Academic Department. After the review, the Academic Review Board and Academic Department (at their discretion) may allow the student to re-enroll in SAIC based upon availability of physical space, equipment, and facilities. If the student seeks to re-enroll one year or longer after the last date attended, they must re-apply through the Admissions office. The statute of limitations for finishing the graduate programs are outlined under each program and includes the interim period spent on leave of absence.

Please Note: Students who wish to re-enroll and need an exception to the above Voluntary Leave policies (e.g., an extension of the LOA period, an extension of the statute of limitations, a request for re-enrollment made less than two weeks before the first day of classes for that term) should contact Academic Advising to determine the appropriate process. In all requests to re-enroll, SAIC reserves the right to deny or defer enrollment. In determining whether a student my re-enroll, SAIC may consider the student’s academic status when last enrolled, activities and conduct while at SAIC and away from SAIC, potential for successful completion of the student’s program, and the ability of SAIC or the Department to support the student academically, as well as other relevant factors. The Academic Review Board may also refer a student’s request to re-enroll to the Vice President and Dean of Student Affairs (or designee) and the Dean of Faculty (or designee). The decision of the Vice President and Dean of Student Affairs (or designee) and Dean of Faculty (or designee) is final with respect to re-enrollment.

Waiver/Substitution for a Class

In some situations, students may request to be waived from a specific class or degree requirement, or to have an alternate class be substituted for the original requirement. In order to request a waiver or substitution, please be aware of the following:

In order to request that a course be substituted for a specific requirement, the request must be made of the appropriate department before the course has been taken.

When a request to waive a requirement is granted, please note that actual credit hours are NOT granted.

The Waiver/Substitution form used to request such changes must be signed by the chair or designee of the department accepting credit into that department or waiving a requirement of that department.

Any other requests regarding degree completion should be discussed with your academic advisor, and appealed to the Academic Review Board. Following are examples of requests heard by the Academic Review Board:

Requests to graduate with less than the required credits in residence.

Substitution of a course for credit in another department after the course has been taken.

Appeals for a grade of “W” after the midpoint of the semester.

Requests for reinstatement of previous credit upon readmittance to a degree program.

Appeals for reinstatement after academic suspension or dismissal.

Requests for additional transfer credit after the student has been at SAIC for one semester.

FERPA waiver

The Federal Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974 governs SAIC’s release of information in your student record to a third party, such as information about grades, billing, financial aid, and other student record information. Although the law has certain exceptions, as a general matter, you must consent in writing to disclosure of your educational records to a third party. Directory information may be given without the student’s consent. (See below)

It is often beneficial to the student for SAIC staff and faculty to be able to discuss student information with a parent, guardian, spouse or other support person. You may, at your discretion, give SAIC faculty and staff permission to release information about your records to a third party (e.g. a parent/guardian, emergency contact, spouse, or potential employer). You must complete the Student Information Release Authorization to grant access. This release has no expiration date; however, you may revoke authorization at any time by completing this form and marking Revoke Authorization instead of Grant Authorization. You may indicate up to two individuals to grant authorization per release. This form allows third parties access to student record information. The specified information will be made available only if requested by the third party. SAIC does not automatically send information to a third party. Please complete this form and turn it into the Office of Student Affairs, Sullivan Center, 36 South Wabash Ave., suite 1204.

Directory Information

FERPA allows SAIC to disclose directory information without a student’s consent. Directory information includes: student’s name, address, email address, telephone number, date of admission, degrees and awards received, previous institutions attended, date and place of birth, expected graduation date, current term hours and enrollment status. To prevent the release of directory information you must submit a written request to the Registrar’s office no later than the 10th day of the semester. Such requests for nondisclosure are honored as long as you are continuously enrolled or unless you revoke the request in writing.

Health and Safety Emergencies

SAIC reserves the right to notify a student’s parent, guardian, or emergency contact, regardless of the student’s age, status, or conduct, in health or safety emergencies, including hospitalizations or when, in SAIC’s judgment, the health or wellbeing of the student or others may be at risk. In accordance with federal legislation, SAIC may also contact parents or guardians of students under the age of 21 who violate any federal, state, or local law and/or SAIC’s policies, which govern the use or possession of alcohol or controlled substances.

Manage your Week

Wall-to wall classes and obligations may feel productive, but may undermine the quality of your work. Do you find you need help with organizing your schedule, finishing work by its due date, or balancing coursework and life?

If so, please schedule a meeting with your academic advisor and/or theDisability and Learning Resource Center to talk about time management strategies that can help you manage your time more effectively.

A leader in educating artists, designers, and scholars since 1866, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) offers nationally accredited undergraduate and graduate degrees and post-baccalaureate programs to 3,200 students from around the globe. Located in the heart of Chicago, SAIC has an educational philosophy built upon an interdisciplinary approach to art and design, giving students unparalleled opportunities to develop their creative and critical abilities, while working with faculty who are the leading practitioners in their fields.